A Shockingly Cheeky Friendship! (Japanese: ピカチュウとデデンネ！ほっぺすりすり！！Pikachu and Dedenne! Cheek Rub!!) is the fourth episode of the XY series, and the 803rd episode of the Pokémon anime. It aired in Japan on October 31, 2013 and in the United States on February 8, 2014.

Contents

Blurb

At Professor Sycamore’s research lab, Serena has to choose between Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie for her first Pokémon. After learning about the three with her new Pokédex, she tells the professor she made her choice even before she got there. It’s Fennekin!

Meanwhile, our heroes are on their way to Santalune City for Ash’s first Gym battle, and Bonnie is demonstrating just how much she loves to take care of Pokémon. She gives Pikachu a bath, then helps Fletchling clean its wings. The two Pokémon are happily settling in for some snacks when the Dedenne our heroes encountered earlier leaps out of a nearby bush and nabs the food! Bonnie wants Clemont to catch this adorable Pokémon for her, but it goes running off, and everyone follows.

Pikachu follows Dedenne into its burrow, but they end up at the base of a tall cliff, unable to get back to the rest of the gang. To make matters worse, the villains of Team Rocket have been observing the two Pokémon, and now their plan to catch Pikachu includes catching Dedenne, too!

Our heroes catch up, a fierce battle ensues, and Team Rocket is left empty-handed—but Dedenne has been hurt. To restore it, Clemont produces another one of his inventions. This electric generator quickly gets Dedenne recharged, but then Clemont can’t turn the machine off, and it explodes. Dedenne is OK, though, and with Clemont’s gift of healing electricity, it’s decided it wants to join the group. Clemont and Bonnie have a new Pokémon friend!

Meanwhile, as she travels through an ominous forest, Serena realizes it’ll be getting dark soon. She wants to find a Pokémon Center where she and Fennekin can stay for the night. She sees someone behind a tree and asks for directions—but what looked like a woman in a striped dress turns out to be a wild Vespiquen! When it attacks, Fennekin leaps to Serena’s rescue and scares it off. Then, Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff show up to investigate the sounds of battle—and point the way to the nearby Pokémon Center. Relieved and happy, Serena races Fennekin all the way there!

Plot

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Meanwhile, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie are resting in the woods as they make their way to Santalune City. Bonnie is gushing over Pikachu's cuteness and stroking his tail. Ash allows Bonnie to feed his Pikachu and Fletchling some Pokémon food. However, a Dedenne runs up to Bonnie, snatches a piece of Pokémon food from her hand, and runs up a tree to eat it. The three are shocked, as they realize that this Dedenne is the same one that ran away from them in the previous episode. Bonnie still desperately wants the Dedenne, but it runs away again, and the three chase after it.

Dedenne digs multiple holes in order to trick Ash, Clemont and Bonnie. Clemont ultimately ends up grabbing Pikachu, mistaking it for Dedenne, and Pikachu zaps him in surprise. Pikachu jumps down a hole and corners Dedenne before tackling it. The two tumble down one tunnel, into another, and end up falling out of a hole on the side of a cliff. Furious, Dedenne attempts to run away, but Pikachu manages to settle things between the two. Team Rocket spies on the two Electric Pokémon, and decide that poaching Pikachu now is a good time, as Ash and his friends isn't nearby to stop them.

Bonnie, who still wanted to keep Dedenne, is looking in one of the holes for it, wondering where it had gone, while Ash is worrying about his Pikachu. Later, Dedenne and Pikachu try to find their way back to Ash and his friends, who in turn are trying to find the two Pokémon. Pikachu zaps a Sitrus Berry off a tree for the hungry Dedenne, but the Antenna Pokémon's meal is cut short by Team Rocket, who shoots a net that narrowly misses the two Pokémon. On Ash's side, they still have no sight on both Pikachu and Dedenne, and Clemont sends Bunnelby back down the to continue looking for them, while Ash asked his Fletchling to seach for them fro the sky. Back at the chase, Team Rocket chases Dedenne and Pikachu to a rocky hillside, where the two Pokémon manage to put some distance between them and Team Rocket, despite Dedenne nearly falling off, as Pikachu saves Dedenne, impressing it with his bravery. James decides to use his new Inkay for the first time, and Inkay manages to injure Dedenne with a Tackle and knock both of the Electric Pokémon into a river. Team Rocket chases them on an inflatable boat but they end up crashing into a rock, which deflates their boat, which sends them flying into the sky with all the air expelling from their boat.

Ash's Fletchling flies overhead and finds Pikachu and a weakened Dedenne. Ash and friends reunite with Pikachu and Dedenne, but Dedenne is too tired to stand up. Clemont makes a machine that recharges Dedenne with electricity, but he pulls out an essential part of the machine by accident, causing it to explode. Although another one of Clemont's machines has been destroyed, Dedenne is recharged and as energetic as ever. Team Rocket returns and Clemont commands Dedenne in the fight. Dedenne uses Nuzzle on James's Inkay, paralyzing the Revolving Pokémon. Dedenne and Pikachu send a lightning bolt at Inkay and Team Rocket, blasting them off yet again. With Team Rocket taken care of, Clemont finally catches Dedenne. The three are overjoyed, especially Bonnie.

The episodes ends with Serena and her new Fennekin walking through the woods, looking for a Pokémon Center. A Vespiquen attacks them when she mistakes it for a person, but Fennekin saves the day when it repels the Vespiquen with Ember. The Vespiquen escapes and Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff arrive shortly after. Nurse Joy helps lead the two to the nearby Pokémon Center.